Lena strong and alphonso b



(No Model.) v

L. STRONG &A. B. SMITH.

FRUIT PIGKER.

Patented Jan. 19, 1886.

gall-AFB;

NITED STATES ATENT Orricn.

LENA STRONG AND ALPHONSO B. SMITH, OF SAN FRANCISCO, (lAL.

FRUIT-PICKER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 334.486, dated January 19, 1886.

Application filed April 2, 1b85. Serial No. 161,067.

signed to be placed on the finger for cutting the stem while the fruit is held by the hand, so that both hands of the operator areleft free to handle the fruit. Such devices are useful more particularly in grape picking and other operations where the fruit requires to be cut and not pulled.

The accompanying drawings illustrate our invention.

Referring to the said drawings, Figure 1 illustrates the mode of using the device. Fig. 2 is a perspective view. Figs. 3 and 4 are cross-sections showing the cutter in two positions. Fig. 5 is a general view of the device taken from the front.

The ring A is produced by taking astrip of sheet metal having suitable stiffness and elasticit-y and bending it aroundinto tubular form, somewhat smaller at one end than at the other. The edges are lapped over each other, and are left free,so that the size of the ring can be altered by springing the metal, its stiffness being relied on to retain the slope and size without permanently fixing the edges. The ring thus produced is open at both ends,t0 slip over the linger and leave it exposed at the tip. The cutter B is attached to the ring by a hingejoint, so that it can be thrown back out of the way when using the hands for climbing and for handling the vines and fruit.

This part (No model.)

consists of a cutting-blade. B. setinto aplate, b, and provided with a hooked end. The plate is provided with a pi'ojection,b ,which is fitted into a plate or block, a, on the ringhaving parts 0 0 so that a pin. d, being passed through the three parts ofthe knuckle a hingejoint is produced. by solder or by rivets or other fastenings,and the blade is set into a slot in thehinged plate. This connection is made sufficiently stiff to keep the cntter'in position, whether forward for action or thrown back out of action, but yet to permit either movement and adjustment of the blade while the device is on the finger. The hinge is made of full length of the ring to give stiffness and prevents twisting, and by driving out the pin the blade is removed for sharpening.

By means of the aforesaid hinge our device can be used on either hand by simply adjusting the blade, so that when in use on the left hand the hook of the blade will be pointing in an opposite direction from the position when in use on the right hand.

Having thus fully described our invention,

what we claim, and desire to secure by Letters- LENA s'rnonc. [n s.] ALPHONSO B. SMITH. n s.]

Witnesses:

A. H. LEAVITT, B. J. BURNS.

The plate 0 is fixed in place g 

